Association of socio-economic, gender and health factors with common mental disorders in women: a population-based study of 5703 married rural women in India

Rahul Shidhaye (1) , Vikram Patel (2)

1 Indian Institute of Public Health of Delhi
2 Epidemiology & Population Health

Background There are few population based studies from low and middle income countries which have described the association of socio-economic, gender, and health factors with common mental disorders in rural women. Methods Population-based study of currently-married rural women aged 15-39 years. The baseline data is from the National Family Health Survey-II conducted in 1998. A follow-up study was conducted four years later in 2002-03. The outcome of common mental disorders (CMD) was assessed using the 12 item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Due to the hierarchical nature and complex survey design, data were analyzed using mixed effect logistic regression with random intercept model. Results 5703 women (representing 83.5% of eligible women) completed follow-up. The outcome of CMD was observed in 609 women (10.7%, CI 9.8-11.6%). The following factors were independently associated with the outcome of CMD in the final multivariable model: higher age, low education, low Standard of Living, recent Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), husband's unsatisfactory reaction to dowry, husband's alcohol use and women's own tobacco use. Conclusions Socio-economic and gender disadvantage factors are independently associated with common mental disorders in this population of women. Strategies which address structural determinants, for example to promote women's education and reduce their exposure to IPV, may reduce the burden of CMD in women.

Mots clés: Medicine

Rahul Shidhaye, Vikram Patel. Association of socio-economic, gender and health factors with common mental disorders in women: a population-based study of 5703 married rural women in India. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2010, 39 (6), pp.1510. ⟨10.1093/ije/DYQ179⟩. ⟨hal-00637029⟩